Folding chair



Nov. 6, 1934.

J. w. BEIGR 1,979,308

FOLDING'CHAIR Filed Nov. 18, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l A TORNEY Y Nov. 6

FOLDING CHAIR Filed Nov. 18, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR W Fg JOI? n W Patented Nov. 6, 1934 FLDING CHAIR John W. Beiger, Ludington, `Mich., assigner to Carrom Company, Ludington, Mich.

Application November 18, 1931, Serial No. 575,853

4 Claims.

The main object of my invention is to provide a folding or collapsible chair that is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, emcient in operation, attractive in appearance, and

. l comfortable.

1.5 of Fig. 4 with the chair in its normal or open position.

` Fig. 4is a front elevation of the chair in collapsed or closed position.

Fig. 5is an enlarged fragmentary transverse, broken section .taken on a line corresponding to line 5-5 of Figs. 1 land 3.

Fig. 6 is Van enlarged detail lsection of the latch andke'eper taken on a line corresponding to line 6--6 of Fig. `4, Aand Fig. 7 "is a bottom perspective view of the cushion frame and seat cover assembly. `'The parts will be identified by their numerals of reference.

^1 in general indicates a folding or collapsible chair embodying my invention, which comprises a'pair of spaced uprightsfZ constituting they back supports 3 and rear legs 4 of the chair.' Outwardly curved vertically spaced cross slats 5 are secured to and between the back supports 3 and constitute therewith the rigid back 6 of the chair. 7is the rear cross brace disposed between and near the bottom of therear legs 4. The ends of this Y'cross brace .7 are rigidly secured within mortises provided therefor in the inner walls ofthe 40 rear legs 4. 5 are the back cross `slats similarly securedto the back supports 3so that a substantially rigid back and rear leg structure is provided.

The front legs 8 of the chair are secured together in spaced relation by the front cross 'brace 9 which is disposed in a horizontal ,plane spaced above the horizontal plane of the rear Across brace 7 for the vaccommodation of the lower frame 10 which is pivoted to the rear legs 4 above the rear brace 7 and to the front legs 8 below `the front brace 9. The frame 10 comprises front and rear crossmembers 1l and 12 which are separatedffrom each other by the side braces 13, the -ends of which are rigidly secured to the .55 innerfaces of the members .11 and 12. As illustrated by Fig. V5, the front member 1.2 is provided with an integral end pivot 14 which is pivotally disposed Within the socket 15 provided therefor within the front leg 8. A Washer 16 separates the shoulder 17 of member 12 from the inner wall of leg v3 as shown, so that member 12 is 'free to rotate .relative to leg 8. Both ends of member .1l are pivoted to the front legs 8, as illustrated by Fig. 5. The ends of rear member 12 are similarly pivoted to the rear legs 4.

Fig. 5 also illustrates how the cross braces 7 and 9 are secured to the front and rear legs. As illustrated, the front brace `9 is provided with tenon 13 which is disposed Within and secured to the mortise 19 provided therefor 'in the leg 8. This construction does not vmar the external finish of the legs.

The seat 20 is supported by and pivotally connected to the front and rear legs by means of the corner brackets 21 which, as illustrated by Fig. 5, are provided with upturned anges 22 having horizontal pivot holes 23 therein for accommodating the `screws 24 which are carried by the legs. As villustrated by Fig. 5, the flange 22 (is separated from the inner wall of the front `leg 8 by washer 25. The brackets 21 are secured to the bottom of the four corners of the seat frame 26by means of screws 27. The frame 26 is provided with recesses 28 in the side walls thereof for accommodating 'flanges 22 andthe heads of `screws 24. f The seat frame 26 consists of front and back. members 29 and 30 which are secured together by side members 31, the ends of whichare dovetailed `to the inner walls of the front .and back 1r1err1ber`s29y and 30. The corner brackets 2l, as illustrated by Fig. 4, are preferablyof angular or L-shape so as to constitute joint securing meansV for `the back and side `members constituting the seat frame. This construction greatly increases the strength, not only of the seat, but also of the whole chair.

Secured to the side members 31, near the front ,and Within the side walls thereof, are a pair of plate-like way members A32 ,having forwardly and upwardly inclined slots 33 terminating in downwardly extending keeper portions 34, as illustrated by Fig. 6. The plate V32 is secured to the inner wall of the side member 31 by `wood screws '35.

A combined brace and latch 36 is provided under the chair coacting with the plate 32, which comprises a rear cross member 37 pivoted to sockets in the rear legs 4, as described above in connection with Fig. 5, a panel 38 secured I to slots in the cross member 37 by screws 39, and a cross rod 40 secured to the front of the panel 36 by channel-shaped brackets 41. The channel-shaped brackets 41 engage the sides of the panel 36 and are secured thereto by rivets 42, the brackets having portions which extend over the forward edge of the panel 38 provided with alined holes in the webs thereof for carrying the rod 40. The -rod 40 is provided with integral lugs 40 upstruck therefrom and engaging the insides of the webs for preventing longitudinal movement of the rod relative to the panel 38. The outer ends 43 of the rod 40 extend into the slots 33 of the way members 32, as illustrated by Fig. 6. In this gure, the ends of the rod 40 are shown engaged in the keeper portion 34 of slot 33 to hold or lock the chair in its open position, as illustrated by Figs.r 1 and 3.

Forcollapsing the chair, the forward end of brace 36 is elevated so as to lift the ends 43 of rod 40 out of the keeper portion 34 of slot 33. In this position of the rod 40, the seat may be swung upwardly to the position indicated by Fig. 2, the ends of the rod freely sliding in the inclined slot 33 to the end thereof. In opening the chair from its collapsed position as shown by Fig. 2, the forward portion of the seat is lowered, assisted by gravity, until approximately horizontal, whereupon the ends of rod 40 are guided by slot 33 into their keeper portions 34. With the ends of the rods in the keeper portions 34 of the slot, the chair is securely locked and braced against collapsing. The weight of brace 36 tends to hold the ends of rod 40 in the keeper portions of the slots.

The seat frame 26 is provided with a rectangular groove 44 in the top thereof for receiving the rectangular cushion frame 45 which is illustrated in detail by Figs. 5 and 7. A fabric support 46 or crossed strips of burlap is secured to the top of the seat frame 26 by tacks 47, the fabric extending over the opening in the frame 26. The cushion frame 45 carries the seat cover 48 which extends over the top of the frame and around the side walls thereof. The edge of the cover 48 is secured to the bottom side of the frame 45 by tacks 49. A layer of resilient material 50, such as cotton or wool batting, is disposed between the fabric support 46 and the cover 48 and is held in place with the cushion frame 45 by a fabric sheet 51 positioned thereunder. The cushion frame 45 is removably secured to the seat frame 46 within the groove 44 by means of spaced wood screws 51, the heads of which are accessible from the bottom of the seat frame 26, as illustrated by Fig. 4.

The seat described above is claimed in my copending application.

The chair described above, constructed in accordance with my invention, is strong and rugged, but very attractive in appearance. A particularly desirable feature is the manner of securing the members together, whereby no securing members such as screw heads are visible from the outside of the chair when in use. The rigid back and rear legs prevent the chair from collapsing while being occupied, in case the latch 36 is inadvertently elevated s0 as to release the ends of rod 40 from the keeper portions 34 of slot 33.

It is clear that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiments of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a folding chair of the class described having a pair of spaced uprights constituting the back supports and rear legs of the chair and having a pair of front legs and having brace means pivoted between said back legs and between said front legs and having a seat pivoted between said back legs and between said front legs, the combination of spaced apart slotted way plates depending from said seat, each having an elongated forwardly and upwardly inclined slot terminating in a short downwardly inclined keeper portion adjacent the forward edge of said seat, and a combined brace and latch panel having its forward edge substantially as wide as said chair seat and pivoted between said rear legs intermediate their bottom and the seat, and of a length to reach substantially to the front edge of the seat when the chair is unfolded, and means carried by the forward end of said panel having projecting portions slidably engaging said slots, whereby when the chair is open said projecting portions are held by gravity in the keeper portions of said way plates to prevent collapsing of the chair and in a position near the front edge of the seat to be lifted from the front of the chair and disengaged from the keeper by grasping said seat and the front of said panel and the chair collapsed by raising the front of the seat.

2. In a folding chair of the class described having a pair of spaced uprights constituting the back supports and rear legs of the chair and having a pair of front legs and having brace means pivoted between said back legs and between said front legs and having a seat pivoted between said back legs and between said front legs, the combination of spaced apart slotted way plates depending from said seat, each having an elongated forwardly and upwardly inclined slot terminating in a short downwardly inclined keeper portion adjacent the forward edge of said seat, and a combined brace and latch of a length to reach substantially to the front edge of the seat when the chair is unfolded, pivoted between said rear legs intermediate their bottom and the seat, and a cross rod substantially as long as the width of said chair seat and extending between said plates and carried by the forward end of said brace and latch and having its ends slidably engaging said slots, whereby when the chair is open the rod ends are held by gravity in the keeper portions of said way plates to prevent collapsing of the chair and in a position near the front edge of the seat to be lifted from the front of the chair and disengaged from the keeper by grasping said seat and said brace and latch and the chair collapsed by raising the front of the seat.

, 3. In a folding chair of the class described having a plurality of pairs of legs and a seat pivoted between the legs of each pair, the combination of means for pivotally connecting said seat to each of said legs comprising a corner bracket affixed to the bottom of said seat and having an upwardly extending iiange of a width not greater than the thickness of the seat, a countersunk portion in the edge of said seat and into which said fiange extends and lies substantially flush with said edge, and pivot means having its headed end in the countersunk portion and extending through said ange and into an adjacent leg whereby said pivot means is concealed.

4. In a folding chair of the class described having a pair of spaced uprights constituting the back supports and rear legs of the chair and having a pair of front legs and having brace means pivoted between said back legs and between said front legs and having a seat pivoted between said back legs and said front legs, the combination of spaced apart slotted way plates depending from said seat having an elongated forwardly and upwardly inclined slot terminating in a downwardly inclined keeper portion adjacent the forward edge of said seat and a combined brace and latch comprising a Wood panel of a length to reach substantially to the front edge of the seat when the chair is unfolded and having its forward edge substantially as wide as said chair seat, said panel being pivoted between said rear legs intermediate their bot' toms and the seat, and a rod carried by and lying along the forward edge of said panel and having projecting portions slidably engaging said slots, whereby when the chair is open said projecting portions are held by gravity in the keeper portions of said way plates to prevent collapsing of the chair and in a position near the front edge of the seat to be lifted from the front edge of the chair and disengaged from the keeper by grasping said seat and the front of said panel and the chair collapsed by raising the front of the seat.

JOHN W. BEIGER. 

